God's Watching You, Lawliet
by Mitsuuuu
Summary: It's Christmas time at the Wammy's House and Lawliet becomes amazed by the sight of snow. Watari decides to spend a little time with him outside, only to unexpectedly strike a breaking point in the boy. L is a young boy in this story. Pre-Death Note.


Something I started and just kind of continued with as it went on. Yet another Death Note Christmas fiction I decided to write.

Merry Christmas!

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**God's Watching You, Lawliet**

Snow – One of nature's most remarkable, natural phenomena.

Whenever a snowstorm came upon the Earth, it brought unexplainable beauty and tranquility, awe and happiness to everyone, the young and the old.

Or, in this case, young Lawliet.

A coy smile found form on his pale complexion, and he pressed his mittened palms against the windowpane, mesmerized by the sight outside. His warm breath fogged the glass, instantaneously, and his forehead met the cool window, sending chills down his frame. But, he forced the matter out of mind. Lawliet watched flakes of snow fall languidly – elegantly – from the bottoms of plump clouds, wondering how such beautiful precipitation could come from such massive, menacing orbs in the sky.

It was truly beautiful.

Awed, he stepped even closer to the large window, wishing to step outside into the winter wonderland. His small form practically stood against the cool window and he kept his dark eyes round in fascination, wordlessly awing the marvelous scene just beyond this glass barrier. He soaked in the scenic picture, the picturesque sight...

A winter wonderland.

"Ah. There you are, Lawliet."

The child looked over his shoulder.

Without warning, a pair of large, gloved hands lowered to either side of the boy and lifted him from his feet. Lawliet writhed in his handler's grasp, but spoke no objection whatsoever, only twisting himself to glance into the face of whoever had a hold of him. He found himself looking into the kind, wrinkled complexion of an elderly man. He noticed a white mustache, a black cap and a pair of thin glasses fixed on the bridge of his nose. The man gave Lawliet a warm smile and tenderly sat the boy on top of his desk.

Lawliet knew this man. His handler.

"Watari," the boy smiled in return.

Watari moved his hands to the child's scarf as he lowered himself to his desk chair, and gently tightened it around his neck. He took a glance at the window while continuing to fidget and secure the child's clothing.

"I'm guessing you've already seen the snow, haven't you, Lawliet?"

The boy turned to watch beyond the window again, and he gave a small nod.

"Yes...I have."

The room fell to a hush. Watari diverted his eyes from the window to take a look at Lawliet. He sensed a silent wish in the child's innocent complexion, perhaps a desire to walk out into the open air and experience winter first hand.

He would be more than delighted to grant the boy's wish.

Especially on such a holiday.

Watari smiled to himself and took the boy in his arms, propping him against his supportive frame.

"Here."

Lawliet – in his dark, rounded gaze – stared up at his handler, silently questioning him. Watari only smiled wider.

"Come on," he assured him warmly. "Let's go see."

Lowering towards the white frosted earth, Watari knelt and let the boy shift from his hold around him. He watched the child from behind his thin spectacles, watched him approach the blanketed lawn and pause in front of it. Lawliet soaked in the mesmerizing panorama – the scenic wonderland – awing it wordlessly with a hand outstretched towards the powdery precipitation. He watched snowflakes delicately fall onto his skin and melt to tiny trails of water, naively examining. He stood still.

Watari arched an eyebrow. "What is it, Lawliet?"

The child only looked at him. Again, there was a silent plea in his round eyes.

The man blinked, diverting his gaze to the snow.

"Do you see something?"

Lawliet didn't answer him.

_The snow…_

Watari moved himself to the child's side. One of his gloved hands reached for the snow, collecting a small ball of it in the palm of his hand. Wary towards the delicate thing, Watari took Lawliet's hand. The boy looked up at him.

"Watari…" his voice faded.

The man shook his head. "Shh, Lawliet," he lulled. "Here."

The child shot his eyes back to his hand - something cold alerted his senses. And there. The snowball sat in the palm of his hand, sparkling ever-so-delicately as rays of light gently bounced from its glossy form. It didn't seem to shrink in the warmth of his palm, sitting upright.

Watari cupped the child's fingers around the snow.

He took the back of his smaller hand in both of his own.

"Keep it safe, Lawliet," he spoke softly, smiling. "Don't let it melt."

At this, Lawliet looked up at him for a long moment, and then knelt down. He patted more snow around the snowball, his small fingers working dexterously for such a simple task. Watari couldn't help but smile wider. Such a sight, it was – The boy, bundled up, knelt down, never minding the flurries of the powder that fell onto his hair and face. Watari lowered himself down by Lawliet and watched him, setting a warm hand against his back. The child looked at him.

"It's yours now," Watari said. "Yours to safeguard and protect…to love."

Lawliet stared. "Mine?" he questioned in barely a voice at all, a voice so quiet, Watari failed to perceive it. The child glanced back to the white ball of snow cupped in his hand, and he brought his other against it, cradling the object tenderly.

Safeguard…Protect….

These words applied to his own lonely life.

He was a delicate child, unloved, abandoned. This snowball, too, was delicate. The last thing he could do – the most heartless thing he could do – was abandon the delicate snowball to the dangers of the outdoors - to the Sun and careless pedestrians. He wouldn't be like those who had deserted him some years ago. He wouldn't be like those who abandoned him to danger.

Who cares if it was just a snowball?

He _would_ protect and guard it.

_Love_ it.

For the first time in as long as he could remember, tears obscured his vision.

It was a reaction - impulse - to part a hand from the snowball and smudge his tears, to try to hide his unexpected sorrow. Watari, however, was not blind to Lawliet's attempt. He slipped his arm around the child's smaller form and drew him close to his side. He didn't say anything for a long, quiet moment, only bringing his gloved hand against the boy's cheek. Without even looking down at him, Watari thumbed away Lawliet's tears, listening to him utter a coy sniffle.

He patted him.

"Don't cry, Lawliet. Not on Christmas Day," Watari cooed softly. "...It's okay."

The child stared at the ground. Subconsciously, his head came against his handler's side. He watched the snowball in his hands, feeling Watari's thumb stroke his cheek again. Lawliet reached for the snow and took some to pat around the snowball, as if he was worried for the thing's condition. Watari smiled and nodded, patting the boy's shoulder.

"That's right. No more crying."

Lawliet shuffled in front of his handler and gazed up at him, wordlessly questioning, once again. Watari opened his arms to the child and embraced him tenderly, turning his back against him to ensure the snowball's safety. Lawliet let his head fall against Watari's chest, his eyes kept on the snowball. His small thumb slid across its slick surface, making no indentation in its smooth form.

"I'll protect it, Watari-san," he thought aloud.

"I knew you would, Lawliet," Watari answered. "Besides, not many young boys are blessed with such a special gift on Christmas, especially a gift from Mother Nature herself."

Lawliet acknowledged his words and looked down at his chest, slipping a hand between the folds of his jacket to take his crucifix between his fingers. He laid the symbol over his heart, surrendering to Watari and conforming to his handler's embrace. He smiled.

"Do you think God did something to?" the child asked, looking up.

Watari smiled. "Certainly, Lawliet. He's watching you."

The boy looked up into the Heavens.

"…And He loves you."

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Review, please.


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